The Seris Story: Ray'tur Goes
by sirussblack
Summary: In the third Seris story, Seris loses his only friend and must face the facts. (Published in Issue 130.)


The Seris Story: Ray'tur Goes  
  
Want to get the full scoop on all of Seris' adventures? Just read his other two stories, The Seris Story and The Seris Story: Imposter!  
  
Seris wasn't very happy. His owner hadn't been around for weeks. When he was there, he would check his mail and then leave. Seris was surviving but it was always his job to get groceries and other things for his enjoyment. As his owner had no other pets, Seris had to do everything on his own. He played a few rounds of poker each day and a number of assorted other games so he could survive off the Neopoints he got from that. With this busy schedule, he barely found time to think about Tanucha, which was good in his case. The underwater city in Kiko Lake was not his problem anymore.  
  
One day when the sun was shining and Seris was walking down the street, it seemed like a normal day. That was until Ray'tur came running up the street, tears streaming down her face, holding a damp piece of paper in her hand, waving it in the warm breeze. Seris, the Fire Draik, looked up from the pavement to see the Red Zafara running down the street (she had taken a morphing potion).  
  
Seris stopped as Ray'tur bumped into him, sending him sprawling onto the ground. He sat up, his head throbbing. "What? What's wrong?" Ray'tur stopped in front of Seris and sniffled. "It's horrible!" She cried. "I-I'm moving!"  
  
This stunned the Draik. Never in his life had he thought that his best friend would actually move. After four years of running around and playing, Ray'tur was actually moving away. Seris tried to speak, but all he could do was stay silent.  
  
"I know," Ray'tur said. "It's sad because we've been friends for so long. Still, you'll find another friend. You're a very likeable guy. Okay?"  
  
Seris nodded, getting up and brushing himself off. "Yeah..." he said. He should have been happy for her. She was getting out of Neopia Central and moving to a more exotic place. "Where to?"  
  
Ray'tur smiled. "So, you don't have a problem with this?"  
  
Though Seris felt anger raging inside him, but he managed to blurt out a few kind words. "No, not at all."  
  
The Zafara looked at the note, her beady eyes looking left to right. "It says on the note I got from my owner that I'm moving to..." she started to hum. "...Mystery Island."  
  
Seris looked at her. "Mystery Island? That's pretty far..." He said, staring down at the ground. "Well...have a good trip,"  
  
Ray'tur smiled again, her teeth showing. "Thanks, we're moving tomorrow. I know it's quick, but my owner thinks it is best." Then, the Zafara said goodbye and started to walk back to her house, all her tears gone.  
  
Seris didn't feel like going anywhere after that. It was so shocking and it was happening just the next day. Instead of going to the bank, he walked back to his house and closed the door, blocking every noise from the outside world. He didn't need any noise at all. He needed a friend...  
  
***  
  
Seris woke up that morning after a night of bad dreams and constant waking up, shivering and sweating. His eyes were saggy and he hunched around the house, doing his daily morning business. While he was brushing his teeth, he looked into the small mirror in front of him. His reflection scared him. His body shivered. He never looked this bad.  
  
As the Fire Draik was eating his breakfast, all he could think about was Ray'tur. She was leaving so fast that it was shocking. Ray'tur didn't have as much money as Seris did, but they were both very good friends. Seris remembered when Ray'tur was a Poogle way back when. She had always fit with a Poogle image until she became a Zafara. Then she seemed to be herself. Still, through three species changes, Ray'tur never really changed.  
  
Seris sighed and got up, fully dressed. He then walked across the living room rug. It seemed like such a long walk. Maybe it was because he was dreading going outside to see boxes piled on top of each other and Ray'tur standing there with a hat and an island tee-shirt on.  
  
When Seris opened the door, it was almost exactly what he saw except that there were only three boxes and a wheelbarrow full of junk. As he walked down the stairs of his porch, Ray'tur waved to him. Her owner was behind her, picking up the boxes and putting them in the wheelbarrow. Seris smiled and made his way across the street to Ray'tur, who was standing there, gleaming.  
  
"I'm almost all set, Seris," Ray'tur said. "I know it seems quick and I know you'll feel lonely, but you'll move on. I know you. Besides, you're welcome to visit anytime you feel!"  
  
"Okay..." Seris mumbled. He hated this. It was his last moment to say what he had always wanted to say. But, he knew he was too nervous and afraid. "Goodbye."  
  
Ray'tur then gave Seris a quick hug, then started off with her owner who had just put the last box into the wheelbarrow. "Bye!" Ray'tur waved and started down the street with her owner. The sun had just risen and their shadows danced along the street.  
  
Seris stood there as a tear rolled down his cheek. Ray'tur was really leaving and there was nothing at all he could do to stop it. The Draik then turned around and darted back into his house. He had lost his one and only friend.  
  
It was hours before Seris stopped crying. He knew he'd get over it by tomorrow, but he wanted that day to come fast, but time seemed to stop, leaving him to cry himself to sleep...  
  
***  
  
The next day, Seris was, surprisingly, over Ray'tur leaving. It must have been the dreams he had about him visiting her every so often to say hello and play for a while. Still, Seris wanted some kind of friend to play with. He didn't know what he would find or who it would be, but he assured himself that he would have a friend by the end of the day. Seris was leaning towards another PetPet to fill in his Pawkeet who had ran away a few weeks ago.  
  
After much consideration, Seris decided on some kind of PetPet. An exotic one, if he could afford it. So, with a bit of change in his pocket, he headed off to the bank to grab many more Neopoints and get himself a PetPet.  
  
At the front desk, he withdrew 10,000 Neopoints, which was more than enough for a PetPet. Then, he hurried off to the shop, excited to get a new friend.  
  
When Seris reached the shop, he opened the glass door to see a madhouse. There was a mob of people standing in line and many more off to the sides, looking at displays of pets from other areas of Neopia. There were Symols and Turtums, Robot PetPets, and Snow PetPets. It seemed that the shop was having a sale on exotic PetPets...  
  
So, Seris squeezed through the crowd to the line. There were a few people behind the counter, so he presumed it would go fast. Thankfully, it did.  
  
Before he knew it, he was in front, waiting for the next pet to be open. When the bell rang, he walked over to the blue counter and saw the shopkeeper. The Blue Kacheek had curls in her hair and was chewing gum.  
  
"Well, what do ya want," she said while chewing her gum. "Name a PetPet, any PetPet and I'll tell ya the price, a'okay?"  
  
Seris nodded and thought. Maybe he should get a simple PetPet. An idea came to his mind. Cheap and simple. "Poppit," he said. A Poppit was cool. It could bounce around.  
  
The Kacheek sighed. "Sorry, we're all out," she said while still chewing the gum.  
  
Seris then considered another possibility. "A Buzzer?"  
  
"A'okay. That would be three thousand Neopoints," the shopkeeper said while she dug her hand around behind the counter. "Now," she said pulling out a piece of paper. "Sign your name here and then put your PetPets name there," she continued, pointing to the two lines.  
  
Seris knew exactly what he was going to name his PetPet. He scribbled it down with the pen he was given and then signed his name. "There," he said, giving the pen back to the lady.  
  
She then went into the back and came out with a Buzzer. It looked exactly like a bee, but smaller and chubbier. As it flew over to Seris, it buzzed hence the name.  
  
Seris let it land on his shoulders and made his way to the front doors. "Okay, Ray'tur, let's bring you to your new home."  
  
Ray'tur, the Buzzer gave a final buzz and quieted. Seris had a new friend... 


End file.
